Police in south Essex are investigating six deaths they believe are linked to the sale of Class A drugs.
Three women and three men have been found dead in the area this week and tests are ongoing to identify the substance involved.
A woman in her 30s was found dead in Southend on Sunday morning.
On Monday July 29 a man in his 20s was found dead at an address in Leigh-on-Sea and a woman in her 30s died in Westcliff.
The following day a man in his 40s died at an address on Canvey Island and a man in his 20s was found dead in Benfleet. Another male was found dead the same day.
Chief Superintendent Kevin Baldwin, said in a statement: “At this stage we believe these incidents are contained to the south of the county but part of our enquiries is to see whether other parts of Essex are affected.
“We believe the deaths are linked to the taking of Class A drugs and are carrying out tests to establish exactly what the substance or substances involved are.
“Until we have the results of those tests we’re not going to speculate about what’s involved or how it was taken. Our message is clear though – if you are considering taking Class A drugs, please don’t.”